Gäste-Forum » A few steps away

MINNEAPOLIS -- Down 19 at home to the struggling Philadelphia 76ers, the Minnesota Timberwolves season had reached a bit of crossroads as the second quarter opened. With a brutal trip awaiting, the Wolves simply couldnt afford to drop this one. So they rolled up their sleeves and started chipping away, and the young Sixers let them right back in it. Kevin Love had 26 points, 15 rebounds and five assists and the Timberwolves got solid contributions from their beleaguered bench to beat the 76ers 106-99 on Wednesday night. "It took us a long time to get into it," coach Rick Adelman said. "But then into the second quarter, into the second half, we just kind of gradually got a rhythm going and took control and they stopped." Ricky Rubio had 21 points, seven assists and five rebounds, Nikola Pekovic added 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Robbie Hummel hit a couple of big shots for the Wolves in the fourth quarter. "It showed the second unit can step up and can score," said Love, who racked up his fifth game this season with at least 25 points, 15 boards and five assists. No other player has done it once. "So I guess this was a character builder for us." Spencer Hawes had 20 points and six rebounds for the Sixers, who led 39-20 after a tremendous first quarter and had a 13-point advantage at halftime. But they turned the ball over 26 times and shot 14 free throws to Minnesotas 29. Hummel scored all 10 of his points in the fourth, including a 3-pointer that started the deciding 13-3 run. The Wolves grabbed 17 offensive rebounds to offset 38.5 per cent shooting. "We just had stats that were too insurmountable," Sixers coach Brett Brown said. "Its hard to make those types of deficits up on the road against a good team." The Wolves still trailed 86-81 with less than 9:30 to go before Hummel buried a 3 to get them started. Pekovic scored six points during the run, including a soft baseline jumper from the burly Montenegrin that put them in front 89-86. Tony Wroten had 20 points in yet another start for Sixers star rookie Michael Carter-Williams, who missed his fourth straight game with a sore right knee. James Anderson added 16 points and eight rebounds. The Sixers were surprisingly competitive early in the season, winning their first three games and beating the Miami Heat in the opener. But the pains of rebuilding have gradually started to set in, and they slumped into Target Center having lost 11 of their previous 13 games and eight in a row on the road. Perhaps taking the game for granted, the Wolves put together a lifeless performance in the first half, and the young Sixers pounced. They shot a staggering 77 per cent in the first quarter, closing it on a 20-3 run. They scored 15 fast-break points and held Minnesota to 30 per cent shooting to build the cushion. Turner and Young attacked the rim for easy layup after easy layup and Hawes hit two 3s to spread the floor, catching the Wolves totally flat-footed. Kevin Martin missed his first eight shots and the Wolves still trailed by 13 at halftime in a game they absolutely needed. The Wolves leave Thursday for a tough trip to San Antonio, Memphis and Boston and also play Portland and at the Clippers and Lakers before Christmas. "When you have a team down 20 thats coming off a back-to-back and you have the opportunity to put a stamp on it, youve got to take advantage of it," Hawes said. "Credit to them. They fought their way back." They finally showed some signs of life to start the third quarter, opening with a 13-2 run and tying the game on a 3-pointer from Rubio late in the quarter. Rubio also had three steals. The Wolves scored 27 points off those Philly turnovers to hold off the Sixers. NOTES: Wolves coach Rick Adelman said before the game that F Ronny Turiafs fractured right elbow isnt healing as quickly as the team had hoped. He said Turiaf is still "a ways away" from playing, though there is no specific timetable. ... Sixers PG Lorenzo Brown, a second-round pick of the Wolves who did not make the team out of training camp, played well with four points and six assists. Fake Patriots Jerseys . Adam LaRoche will take that. "I like our position in the standings and I like how our team is playing," LaRoche said after Washington swept a day-night doubleheader from the Cubs on Saturday. Wholesale Patriots Jerseys . Lack replaced an injured Roberto Luongo late in the first period then watched defenceman Chris Tanev score the winning goal midway through the third as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Jets 2-1 in a tight NHL game. https://www.patriotsjerseysale.com/. "There are a lot of things that are going very well in this organization. Im not coming in here to rip things apart," Nicholson told reporters Friday. "I know what Hockey Canada was when I started, and I know where this (Oilers) organization is today. Patriots Jerseys 2019 . has left the San Jose Sharks to become the Boston Bruins director of player personnel. Stitched Patriots Jerseys . Mako Vunipola was promoted from the reserves, with Matt Mullan called up to the bench on Thursday. "It is important that Joe is with his partner at this exciting time," England coach Stuart Lancaster said.PHOENIX - Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch knew he had to talk. It didnt mean he had to say anything.So, in essence, he didnt. And now, onto our regularly scheduled Super Bowl Media Day, where the players and coaches are window dressing, and its really more about whos asking the questions.There was Barrel Boy. A pair of buck-toothed sock puppets. A guy sporting a purple shirt, a bicycle helmet and seven Go Pro cameras, so I can catch all the angles, precisely.These characters are the sort that have helped turn an event that began as a convenient place to fill up the notebook in advance of the NFL title game into the full-fledged theatre of the absurd it has become.On Tuesday, about 2,000 reporters — make that people with credentials — filed into the U.S. Airways Center, worked their way down the stairs past a marching band playing a version of Blondies 1980 hit, Call Me, and got down to business.The New England Patriots filed in and the clock started ticking down from 60:00.As the reporters, cameramen and Nickelodeon superhero Pick Boy elbowed for position, the questions began.As expected, New England coach Bill Belichick wasnt forthcoming about much. But now, thanks to a question asked by a kid, we know his favourite stuffed animals are those cute little monkeys you put your fingers in to make them talk.Those wishing to someday see Patriots quarterback Tom Bradys etchings were in luck. Sort of. A sketch artist got a credential and spent the morning penning out pictures of the Man himself: Life imitating art imitating Leroy Neiman.Looking for a Joe Namath-like guarantee at Media Day? The game will be on Sunday, promised Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski.Oh, there were moments of actual reporting going on — some even done by people other than ESPNs Chris Berman, NFL Networks Deion Sanders and the rest of the reporter-celebrity crowd that fields as many questions as they ask.Patriots owner Bob Kraft, who had his last say on the deflated-footballs matter during a surprise showing at the New England news conference Monday, came out Tuesday and stood in a corner — not to talk about Deflategate, but, among other things, to talk about why he talked about Deflategate.The reason I did what I did yesterday was so that all of our fans and (me) and my family can enjoy this game, he said.Belichick stood by his guns. He wasnt going to mention it anymore: Were just focused on Seattle this week, he said.Speaking of Seattle, about a half-hour before the Seahawks took to the floor at thee jammed, claustrophobic arena that the NBAs Phoenix Suns call home, a crowd started gathering around Podium No.dddddddddddd 6. Lynchs name was up there. Quite a surprise, considering he spent last years Media Day in a corner, surrounded by teammates who wouldnt let any reporters near him.An hour with The Beast? Seemed promising.Then, he climbed the stairs, set his timer, said he was doing this so he wouldnt get fined and pronounced he would answer every question the same way until his time was up. That ended with about 57:30 remaining on the countdown clock, and its not a sure thing he was right about the fine thing. The Pro Football Writers Association is talking to the league about what happened and Lynch has been told theres a potential he could, indeed, have to pay up for leaving early.Once he left, his teammates fielded a number of questions about why Lynch doesnt like to talk, and why fans (read: media) seem so obsessed with hearing him talk.The way the NFL sells everything all the time, fans want to, like, be inside our minds, defensive lineman Michael Bennett said. The fact they dont get to do it all the time with Marshawn, it just makes them mad.OK, back to the important stuff:The white, brimmed hat Bennett was wearing was made of horse tweed and cost $800, for those of you who know about hats, he said.Those who know about figure skating wouldve liked what they saw.Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir were there. One was decked out in black leather pants, black shoes with chunky heels, a bejeweled necklace and a Seinfeld-esque puffy shirt. Lipinski looked good, too.They asked some questions. Answered more.As Seattles 60 minutes were wrapping up, a group of practice squad players were showing off their best dance moves for the camera — Jimmy Staten did the Sprinkler — while being surrounded by scantily clad ladies in cheerleading gear.A few steps away, a man wearing clowns makeup and a rubber-ribbon wig was carrying a microphone and following a reporter with a low-cut neckline that highlighted her painted-on black-and-white dress.In another corner, former Rams MVP quarterback Kurt Warner, now retired and with a TV gig, had a microphone in front of Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.This is football players interviewing football players, observed the legendary sports writer, Art Spander, now covering his 39th Super Bowl.And reporters interviewing reporters.No stone is left unturned at Media Day.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '